With its 66, 400 sq km, Ningxia makes up only 0.69 percent of China's territory. Composed of plain that is crossed by the Huanghe River and cradled by three deserts in the north and arid mountains in the south, Ningxia is one of the poo- rest places in the country.

Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region was established in 1958. Its culture and history are strongly influenced by Islam which is practiced by the Hui people, the descendants of Central Asian, Persian, and Arabic peoples, making this auto- nomous region a land rich in color and variety.

Among the persons introduced in this ook, at least seven - as far as I know -would later become bearers of the Olympic Torch in Ningxia. They include the writer Zhang Xianliang, the desert-greening wor- kers Wang Youde and Bai Chunlan, the actress Liu Ping, the Ningxiahong winery president Zhang Jinshan, the president of a residential community committee Sun Xianmei, and the theater master and pioneer Wan q Zhihonq.

My tenth journey in Ningxia will have been the longest and the one I will have completed with the most meticulous observation, as this time it was a matter of collec- ting stories and accounts to share with you, the readers.

After introducing the wonderful people of China's largest region, Xinjiang, last year, I focused on the smallest one of the country's continent. How rich are the human resources and how great and moving were the stories the Ningxia people had to tell me! From the army veteran Du Licheng, who became engaged at 16 in the Liberation War, to the imam of Nanguan Mosque where, on July 1, 1997, several Hongkong Mus- lims came to celebrate their return to the motherland; from the famous writer Zhang Xianliang, who set up a "Chinese Hollywood, " to the four Hui or Han university students who, even though very young, have already performed kind and memorable acts; from Bai Chunlan, an illiterate peasant who, in 28 years, planted 100, 000 trees by herself, to Wang Youde who, since 1985, has led teams of workers in transforming the desert into orchards and forests, while improving at the same time hundreds of peo- ples' lives. So many other people's stories will surprise, entertain, and move you.

By road, rail, or air, Ningxia has become easily accessible, and its concentration of special museums and tourist sites makes it an ideal destination for learning, having fun, and enjoying the pleasure of delicious food. Once you glance through these pages, you will not be able to resist the urge to go and discover these wonderful people of Ningxia, right where they are.

About the author:

A fter a teaching career in Canada, where she was born, Lisa Carducci found China to be the most favourable place for her writing. Author of more than 40 books and 2, 000 articles, she aims to improve, year after year, her knowledge of the Chinese culture's many diverse fea- tures. However, this experience of China would not make sense to her if she did not share it with "those who don't have the chance to discover it on the ground".

In 2001, Lisa Carducci was granted the Friendship Award of the People's Re- public of China, and, in 2005, permanent residence status. From the same author, in the same collection: Ces gens merveilleux du Xinjiang.

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